SSL Team Austria – The Austrian Eagles
The Austrian Eagles are led by Thomas Zajac, Olympic bronze medallist in the Nacra 17 class at Rio 2016. The catamaran master also finished as runner-up in the 2009 Tornado Worlds and the 2017 M32 Worlds. The Austrian alps are home to the golden eagle, and they will hope to soar in the 2026 SSL Gold Cup.
Zajac is backed by a strong team, including a number of World and European Champions, including Christian Binder, Keanu Prettner, Thomas Czajka and Simona Höllermann.
Austria went out at the 1/16 Finals stage at the inaugural SSL Gold Cup, so will be looking for a strong performance in Group D so that they can progress on the Road to Rio.
SSL Team Estonia – The Icebreakers
Led by the helmsman & team manager of Arcona 340, Katariina II, who finished in the silver medal position in Class C at the 2025 ORC World Championship. The Estonian Icebreakers team is filled with talent and experience.
Estonia may only have a population of 1.3 million, but their sailing culture is strong with superb events on the Baltic Sea. The Icebreakers name reflects their love of ice yachting, where they have multiple World and European Champions in the DN class, as well as their determination to push on through any obstacle.
SSL Team Slovenia – KRPANI1860
The Slovenian team is led by legendary sailor Vasilij Žbogar, bronze medallist in the Laser class at the Athens 2004 Olympics, silver medallist in the Laser class at the 2008 Olympics, and silver medallist in the Finn class at the 2012 Olympics, as well as a host of podium finishes in World and European Championships, including gold in the 2003 Laser Europeans and the 2013 Finn Europeans.
Žbogar is backed by an experienced team, including helmsman Igor Lah, a tour champion in the highly competitive RC44 class, and a host of top class sailors.
At the inaugural SSL Gold Cup in 2023, Slovenia progressed through the 1/32 Finals, the 1/16 Finals before being defeated by France and Portugal in the 1/8 Finals, and will be looking to progress further on the Road to Rio.
The team’s name pays homage to Martin Krpan, one of the most famous heroes in Slovenian folklore, a legendary, quick-witted, and super-strong smuggler from the Notranjska region who bravely defended the imperial capital from a mythical giant, while 1860 is the year the famous glass factory and sponsor Steklarna Hrastnik was founded.
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How to follow the SSL Gold Cup
A key component of SSL Gold Cup events is the comprehensive coverage, bringing every moment of the racing to audiences around the world in detail, as well as a range of highlights.
With the SSL Gold Cup African and Oceanian Qualifiers complete, it’s now time for the European Qualifiers with two Groups now settling in at Grandson, registering, weighing in and picking up their jerseys on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel ahead of training before the racing starts in earnest on Monday.
Watch the Livestream
The first port of call to watch the active live, and know the results as they happen is the live broadcast on YouTube, all accessed through https://www.youtube.com/@Starsailors . This is a comprehensive broadcast with multiple cameras on the water, in the air, and on the boats, as well as commentary by anchor Yann Dorset, insights from Robbie McCutcheon and reactions on the water from Karolina Soltaniuk, who jumps onto the SSL47 yachts after each race to talk to the sailors.
Thousands tune in each day to follow their national team and cheer them on at home, and the full archive of live events, including all the action from the inaugural SSL Gold Cup, the Asian Qualifiers, SEA Games, and the African and Oceanian Qualifiers last week.
Get Social!
The media team are grabbing reactions from sailors on and off the water and producing engaging reels which are being shared around the world.
The main channels to follow are Facebook at www.facebook.com/SSLGoldCup , Instagram at www.instagram.com/sslgoldcup/ and TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@sslgoldcup where thousands of followers engage with their national team and share their SSL Gold Cup stories.
All the main channels can be accessed via linktr.ee/starsailorsleague , so you have one easy place to find all the different ways of following the SSL Gold Cup action.
The Very Best Photography
The SSL47 yachts with their gold hulls, black sails, and the colourful jerseys of the teams, coupled with the stunning Swiss surroundings of Lake Neuchâtel make for amazing photography.
Thankfully the SSL Gold Cup has the best in the business! Reigning Yachting Photographer of the Year Martina Orsini captures the best action, reaction and all the key moments in exquisite detail, and the best images are published throughout our social media channels and articles.
The WorldofSailors.com website
The home of all the SSL Gold Cup reporting is www.WorldofSailors.com, which also hosts the unique and comprehensive Global Rankings for Nations and Sailors.
Each sailor receives SSL Points at major events to determine their ranking in the Mens and Womens categories, while the National Ranking aggregates the scores of an individual country’s top five skippers and two crews.
Climbing the SSL Nations Ranking is key to seeding for the SSL Gold Cup, so improvements from top sailors are followed avidly by each nation.
Articles and Press Releases
Every day the best of the action, as well as insights from the sailors themselves, is brought to you in our daily reports, illustrated by fantastic imagery and graphics for the media.
We also bring you in-depth articles highlighting national teams, sailors and how sailing is developing in different nations.
Highlights Videos
The best of the action from each day’s racing is distilled into short, digestible videos for you to enjoy at your leisure. These videos are hosted on YouTube and available for the media to embed into articles and press releases.